Handel's Messiah the advent calendar

'The finest Composition of Music that was ever heard': Following the reactions of the only full rehearsal of Messiah on the 9th of April, the expectations were soaring. The date of the premiere had to be changed to the 13th of April. There was no doubt, Dublin high society didn’t want to miss such an important event. Faulkner’s Dublin Journal even had to print this request: “Many Ladies and Gentlemen who are well-wishers to this Noble and Grand Charity, for which this Oratorio was composed, request it as a Favour, that the Ladies who honour this performance with their Presence, would be pleased to come without Hoops, as it will greatly increase the Charity, by making Room for more company.”Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Little Messiah: Naturally, we do not know how the very first performance of Messiah sounded. Particularly because Handel in his own life-time managed to make numerous changes in connection with later performances, so that there are now at least ten different versions from Handel’s own time. But one thing is for certain. Messiah sounded very different than in the later versions that had hundreds of musicians and hundreds of choir singers.Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Recipe for ragout with poor Irish children: The mighty dean and writer, Jonathan Swift was close to putting a stop to the premiere of Messiah. Under no circumstances would he let his choir singers perform in a ‘fiddle players’ club in Fishamble Street’. One would have thought that Jonathan Swift in particular would appreciate a concert that was to raise money for the release of imprisoned debtors who were starving. Because Jonathan Swift himself had previously highlighted the shocking poverty in which the majority of Catholics in the country were living with his pamflet, ‘A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or the Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public.´Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Susannah Cibber arrives in Dublin, and her performance is a big disaster - but then the viceroy asserts himself! When exactly Handel and Cibber first meet in Dublin, and at what point Handel decides to let her sing one of the most important parts of Messiah is unknown. Susannah Cibber had had singing parts since the beginning of her career, but she became famous for her acting. Her voice was described as ‘sweet’ and ‘exceptionally expressive’. However, it was untrained. And what was worse was that she could not read music. Even though Handel was known for not accepting any singers who were not able to sight-read, he made an exception for Susannah Cibber. Hour by hour, day by day he would go through the oratorio with Susannah Cibber until, finally, she knew her part by heart.

She was the star of the first performance of Messiah in Dublin. In the years leading up to this Susannah Cibber had had a tough time.It was nothing short of a sensation when the 17-year-old craftsman’s daughter, Susannah Cibber, quickly became one of the most fêted actresses and singers in London. She married actor and dramatist Theophilus Cibber, who soon turned out to be both malicious, violent, mendacious and manipulative. He frivolously spent his wife’s money. In return he gave her sexually transmitted diseases. When she tried to hide money from him, he knocked the door down to her dressing room at the theatre and stole all of her jewellery and dresses, which he then proceeded to sell. In 1738 things really spiralled out of control. Because if Theophilus could not have his wife’s money – then he could at least damage her good reputation with a sex scandal. So that’s what he did. And we will hear a lot more about that tomorrow!Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Handel was soon so busy in Dublin that he could not keep up. Smock Alley Theatre further down Fishamble Street had to cancel performances because Handel monopolised the best musicians in the city. They even had to turn Fishamble Street into a one-way street when Handel was giving concerts because of the ensuing traffic congestion. Thus sedan chairs could no longer just be parked outside Mr Neal’s Great Musick Hall while the noble guests were enjoying the strains of Handel’s music. Handel was a success – and he had not even started introducing his audience to his new compositions yet. So far they had only been listening to the works they already knew.Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

The Irish State Musick was the permanent ensemble at the court at Dublin Castle. They were primarily paid in beer and had to take on extra work as waiters in order to make a living. The violinists also had to accept that the trumpeters were paid more because they had a higher risk of dying while on duty. In this episode you will also get an explanation as to why you will not be hearing one single note of Irish traditional music in this advent calendar.Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

The Charitable Musical Society was quite a unique musical society. Even though there were many similar societies in Dublin in the 1740s this society stood out because of its many activities. Their primary aim was to raise money to release imprisoned debtors. Furthermore their members were the driving force behind bringing Handel to Dublin – and they were also responsible for building the biggest music hall in Ireland. Finally it stood apart from the other musical societies in that they insisted that there be room for both the high nobility with long titles as well as humble craftsmen – and the musical society had no problems letting Catholics join either, which was quite sensational at the time.Interview with Adrian Le Harival, curator at the National Irish GalleryMusic: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Handel arrives in Ireland on 18 November and is welcomed with open arms. Where life seemed light, cheerful, elegant and fashionable when the aristocracy were enjoying themselves in the new music hall in Fishamble Street, then life was looking considerably different to the majority of the inhabitants in Dublin. There was a particular reason that hospitals for poor people and musical charities for imprisoned debtors were in such dire need of raising as much money as possible. Because in 1741 there was a famine in Ireland, and throngs of famished people from the countryside would go to Dublin in the search of food.

When Handel met Matthew Dubourg, who would later become Master of the Music at the court in Dublin, he was a little boy playing the violin standing on a stool. When the audience clapped afterwards, little Matthew Dubourg became so startled that he fell off the stool. Dubourg would later save Handel’s career. In this episode we will be joined by musician and conductor Peter Whelan, who will tell us about his latest discoveries about the relationship between Handel and Dubourg.Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

No Messiah without Charles Jennens! Because creating this holy oratorio was his idea. It was he who wrote the libretto based on the Bible. However, Charles Jennens had no interest in getting his name mentioned. He never asked to be paid for his work either. Because Charles Jennens had much more important things on his mind!Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

In the first episode we are going down Fishamble Street, one of the oldest streets in Dublin. It was in the exclusive Musick Hall in this street that Handel’s Messiah was first performed on 13 April 1742. Once upon a time Fishamble Street was one of Dublin’s most unsanitary streets. It later became one of the most fashionable streets in Dublin. Today it is rather dull. However, it is a good starting point for the many stories about Handel’s time in Dublin.